Digital nibbles & bytes on technology, startups, media and life

The rise of hyperlocal online TV / video

The founding promise of the internet was all about ‘no borders’ and ‘global’. Global audience, global reach, global revenue. But as the web has matured, it has become increasingly clear that the localization of the web is just as fundamental to the growth of the medium as going global. Local is the ying to a global yang on the web. We live our lives locally, and most advertising dollars are also local. Factor in lower production costs/values and it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that online television and video content in general is going hyperlocal.

From Pasadena;

Pasadena Now TV (PNTV) an online “hyperlocal” TV network. The press release promises local versions of shows like “America’s Got Talent” and “Cops.”

PNTV publisher James Macpherson: “High-quality programs do not need to be expensive productions in today’s world. A large variety of vertical platforms and programs exist separately which, if used in concert, can create great programming.

One great example is the green screen + virtual set dynamic. Formerly the territory of CNN’s and ESPN’s, now this tool is common.

LA is loaded with talent and knowledge. Our objective is to produce compelling content with highest production value at lowest cost. We are very fortunate that a leading So Cal special effects studio has offered to assist us with technology and the use of a studio.

We hope to present a mix of video styles, from user-generated videos which we curate and edit, to studio-shot programs, to live streamed important civic events.”

To Peachtree City;

Smith is the founder and CEO of JayeliTV (pronounced “Jaye-L-I TV”), an online company he started in 2009. According to him, the “hyper-local” company exists to ensure that local residents get a chance to learn about “a lot of great stories that don’t get told and certainly don’t get seen on local television.”

“We are experts at mass-producing customized newscasts,” Smith said.

To San Francisco;

“Compared to larger ‘mainstream’ news organizations, local websites have an audience that is arguably much more engaged in a conversation about local news”

…that interaction between broadcaster and community has proven crucial. “We’ve seen that (media orgs/partners) who invest in the community and make their audiences know that they really want to hear their ideas are going to be really successful,” she said.

“A lot of people still really care about TV,” said Ma. “It’s still the easiest and fastest way to get your message out to a lot of people all at once. … The idea is that you can help decide which stories get covered, and how the media is portraying your neighborhood.”

News consumers’ habits have no doubt changed in recent years. Online, many users want to participate in the shaping of local stories.

(most video sharing sites) are global sites, but we’ve found through user behavior on the site(s) that there’s a strong interest in local content … there’s a lot of opportunity in the local space. We’re hoping to learn as much as we can to understand what types of footage people submit when they’re asked to document news and events around them”